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16, 1929. 1 5, SMALL 1,709,043

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Filed Dec. 17, 1926 ,4 7 John/S. Sm all,

Patented Apr. 16, 1929.

'TUI-IN SANFORD SMALL, OF ELKHART, INDIANA.

FILE.

Application filed December 17, 1926. Serial No. 155,408.

This invention relates to a novel tile of the class in which the cards are arranged in overlapping relationship in a fraine or panellile tray. lhe invention will be best understood by reference to the following description, when taken in connection with the accon'ipanying drawings of one illustrative enibodinient thereof, while its scope will be niore particularly pointed out in the appended clain'is. i i

ln the drawings: l

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a portion of a :file exeinplifying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a. sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, but with one of the cards upstanding, the better to illustrate the structure;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3--3 of F i g. l, but showing .seine of the cards swung toward the front end of the tray and resting upon the card rest; and

Fig. 4l is a sectional view on an enlarged scale online i-4t of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, and to the einbodilncnt of the invention which is selected :for exeinpliiication, there is shown a paper tile comprising a series of sheets or cards 5, herein having overlapping margins 6 to which identifying niatter may be applied, thereby constituting an index for the file. Fach sheet is associated with and supported by an appropriate support, snch as a bar 7, which niay be and herein is a flat, elongated. strip of metal, which in turn is supported by a suitable support, in the present embodiment a panel-like tray comprising a body of sheet inaterial such as sheet steel, presenting a web 8 and two npstanding walls S), presenting ontwardly directed flanges 10 and margins l1, parallel with the walls 9. y

rllhe panel or tray presents appropriate guides, such as channels 12, receiving the ends of thebars 7, the latter being parallel with, and edge to edge with, one another. Herein, the channels 12 are presented by sheet-metal strips 13 between the walls 9, and suitably secured in place as by spot-welding them to the web 8. Each strip is providedwith an inwardly-directed flange lll, which overlies the adjacent ends of the bars.V The bars areheld in a somewhat elevated position,-that is to say, spaced from the web 8 of the tray by the provision of ribs 15, formed lengthwiseV ofv 'the strips 13. Making the flan ges 14 and ribs 15 as parts of separate strips 13 possesses sev- .eral important advantages'ainong them being accuracy of spacing of the channels with respect to the width or' the tray, accuracy in the depth of the channel frein front to back, accuracy in the formation of the location of the ribs, and great strength, owing to the fact that the strips reinforce the web 8, as well as the walls 9.

Removal of a given bar from and its replacement in. the channels may be, and herein is, conveniently accomplished by making the bars iieiible and resilient, whereby they may be sprung or bowed toreduce their effective length to a space between the edge of one flange 14 and thp bottom of the channel l2 on the opposite sic e.

Each sheet is conveniently secured to its bar by tx 7o hinges, each comprising two hinge members 16 and 17, one secured to the bar and the other to the sheet, and a pintle 18, on which one hinge ineniiber turns relatively to the other. My present invention is in no lway concerned with the details of these hinges.

The front end of the panel or tray presents a front wall 19, herein provided witha handle or knob 20, conveniently secured to the wall, as by a fastening nieans presenting a head 21 on the inner face of the wall. Between this wall and the nearest card-supporting bar is a card rest 22, herein conveniently formed of sheet-metal arranged in a sloping position, and having' at its front end a depending flange 23, the lower edge of which rests upon the web 8. This flange is directed rearwardly to afford space for the head 2i. This card rest is provided with lateral projections or tabs 24, received behind or beneath the flanges 14e, and coi'iveniently secured thereto to prevent displacement of the card rest longitudinally of the lianges, by providing the tabs with perforations 25 (see Fig. 4l), which receive protnberances 26 on the flanges. These protnherances are conveniently formed by means of a prick-punch, or a center punch, after the tabs have been introduced beneath the fianges 14C.

To'afford access to the lateral edges of the cards when they are turned forward to rest upon the card-rest, (see Fig. 3), the card-rest has edges 2'? extending lengthwise of the flanges 111- and spaced therefrom by a substantial distance, thereby enabling the edges of the cards to be fingered by the introduction distance less than the secured to said web between saidv walls and' of the fingers between the edges of the cardrest and the edges of the adjacent flanges. This enables the cards'to be handled rapidly.

Havingthus described one embodiment of the invention, but withoutlimiting. myself thereto, what I claim and desire by Letters Patent to secure is:

l. In a file, the combination of' a frame comprising a body of sheet material presenting a web and two parallel walls outstanding fromsaid'web, two bodies of sheet material presentingA llang'es directed inwardly toward each other, and acard rest intermediate said walls and'presenting lateral projections dis` posedfbetween'said flanges and said web, said fianges and: said projections having interenaGinO" means jreventino dis 'lacemeint of D D b said card rest lengthwise of said flanges.

2. Infa file,'the` c'ombinationof a lra'm'e presenting a web; twoflaii'ges directed inwardly toward each other,A aiid a' card3 rest intermediate saidflanges andpr'esent'ing lateral projections disposed betweei'i' said flanges and said web, said: projections and said flanges having interengaging means preventin displacement of said card rest lengthwise o said flanges.

3. In a file, the combination of a frame presenting a web, two flanges directed inwardly toward eachother7 and a card rest intermediate said flanges and presentinfY lateral projections disposed between said flanges and said web, said projections being provided with perforatioils and said flanges being provided with protuberances received in said perforations, respectively.

ll. In a file, the' con'lbination of a frame presenting a web, two flanges directed inwardly toward each other, and a cardrest intermediate said flanges and having edges extending lengthwise of said flanges and spaced a substantial distance therefrom to permit the edges of cards resting on said card rest to be lingered to enable the cards to be separated from one another.

In testimony whereof, I have signed niy name to this specilication.

JOHN SANFORD SMALL. 

